'Cats earning some respect in Vegas

We've got 12 games on the NBA schedule tonight with only three of the games pairing winning teams against each other, but that's what the NBA has become -- a league full of have-nots, especially in the East. If we simply used the top eight teams in each conference as a barometer of having success rather than actual records, we might be a little more excited about Boston, currently 12-15 -- good enough for the fourth seed in the East, traveling to Washington, where the Wizards are 11-13 and would be the seventh seed.

While Indiana and Miami are clearly head and shoulders above everyone else in the East -- the only other winning East record comes from Atlanta (15-12), you can't help but to be excited about the things Charlotte is doing this year at 13-14, which would give them the No. 5 seed if the playoffs started today. Here in Las Vegas, bettors are slowly warming to the idea of putting Charlotte on their radar because they are the fourth best cover team in the league at 17-9-1 ATS behind Phoenix (17-6-2), Indiana (18-8) and Portland (18-9).

Tonight, the Bobcats welcome the Utah Jazz, a team that has contributed to their past futility by beating Charlotte eight straight times. But things should be a little different this time around. The Jazz may be from the powerful Western Conference, but they have the worst record in the West at 7-22, and they're only slightly better against-the-spread at 12-16-1.

On Friday, the Jazz were blown out 118-85 at Atlanta with only one starter scoring in double figures. They also had their third worst shooting night (37.2 percent) of the season. Prior to that defeat, the Jazz had won four of their previous six road games.

The big motivation for Charlotte tonight, beyond halting the Jazz's streak against them, is that they are going for their fourth straight win, which would be their longest win streak since 2011. Kemba Walker and former Jazz star Al Jefferson have put this team on their back and done some exciting things this franchise has never seen, in particular having them one game away from being .500 this late in the season.

On Friday night, the Bobcats rallied from a 20-point deficit at Detroit to win 116-106, thanks to outscoring the Pistons 41-17 in the fourth-quarter. Walker scored 34 points in that one, and it's just a continuation from what he's been doing over the last week. In his last four games, Walker has been on fire, averaging 27.8 ppg while shooting a sizzling 63.9 percent.

The Linemakers' lean: So while the big games of the night have the Thunder facing the Spurs (-2.5), Dallas at Phoenix (-3) and Denver at the Clippers (-8.5), we find value and excitement at the lower end of the standing with Charlotte laying -4.5-points at home tonight against a Jazz team that has taken on the role of NBA bottom feeder that many of the Charlotte players know well, and never want to experience again. The Jazz are losing by an average of 11 points per game on the road and that sounds good enough for us.

The Pelicans are one of the hottest team in the NBA. Last night's win at Denver was New Orleans' fifth straight, both SU and ATS. The Mavericks have dropped two in a row. Dallas hosts one of the best spread covering teams in the league on Monday night.

The Bulls, who are again adjusting to life without point guard Derrick Rose, welcome the Clippers to the United Center on Sunday in the first half of an ABC doubleheader. The second tip has the Cavaliers at Rockets

In an Eastern Conference matchup on Saturday, the Heat host the Hawks, and in a later tip on national TV, the Spurs visit the desert to face the Suns. These are two of seven matchups on today's pro basketball betting card.